Plastic-Free July: Tips For A Month Without Plastic

Anyone can take part in Plastic-Free July. Even if you can’t commit to going plastic-free for the entire month, that’s totally fine - sign up to get involved regardless! After all, every effort counts. 

For July, millions of people pledge to refuse single-use plastics or reduce their plastic waste in an attempt to live more sustainably. Will you be a part of it this year?

Scrub Up With Soap Bars

There was once a time when soap bars were the norm, and we’d use them both in the shower and to wash our hands. Fortunately, this old school method is back in style. So if you want to reduce the plastic footprint in your bathroom, swap out your body wash, shampoo and conditioner for solid bars. Hopefully, we can expect all of our favourite products to be in bar-form sometime soon. 

Bring Lunch From Home

It turns out that eating out for lunch isn’t any good for the planet. Consumers who purchase “lunch on the go” generate nearly 11 billion items of packaging waste per year. So if you’re a serial diner, consider batch cooking your lunch to take at least a few days per week instead. Cutting down on eating out will not only benefit the planet, but your wallet will be pleased, too. 

Conscious Period Products

A big-brand pack of 14 menstrual pads contains the same amount of plastic as five carrier bags. Thanks to conscious, innovative brands, it’s now fairly easy to reduce plastic waste in your period. Menstrual underwear or cups are reusable products that can last for a long time before they need to be repurchased, making these the most sustainable options. However, if you cannot use those, then look into organic or plastic-free disposable options. 

Bring Your Own Cup

According to The Guardian, only one in 400 coffee cups are recycled in Britain, and we get through around 2.5 billion of them every year. Most high-street coffee shops offer incentives for you to bring your own reusable cup, for example, offering cheaper drinks - so not only are you reducing your plastic waste, but you’re saving money, too. You don’t have to stop at warm beverages either; you can also get yourself a reusable bottle to avoid buying water bottles.

Reuse What You Have

It can be tempting to go out into the world and buy all of the exciting, innovative eco products on offer. Although, the best thing that you can truly do is first look around your home and use what you already own. For example, continue to use plastic containers if you already have them instead of buying new glass ones.